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TORONTO -- Mike Babcock scoffs at the notion that he simply shows up to coach the Canadians and they keep winning best-on-best games, a streak that has run to 14.I think thats what you guys think, he bristled at reporters.Whatever anyone things, Babcock has helped Canada win gold at the last two Olympics and he has the team rolling into the best-of-three World Cup of Hockey finals against Team Europe, with Game 1 on Tuesday night.His counterpart, meanwhile, is simply happy to have a shot to coach hockey again. Ralph Krueger wasnt sure if he would have another chance to be behind a bench after being fired a few years ago by the Edmonton Oilers via Skype while sitting on his daughters bed. He was let go after the Oilers went 19-22-7 during the lockout-shortened season.While still reeling from the blow, he got an opportunity to bounce back -- from Babcock. He asked Krueger to help the team as a consultant at the Sochi Games and they became friends, attending non-hockey events at the 2014 Olympics and swapping water skiing stories in recent years.Mike called me 12 hours later to ask me to come to the Olympic Games with Canada, so thats Mike Babcock, said Krueger, a Canadian who has known Babcock since 2004.Now, theyre matching wits as competitors in a tournament in which Canada seems to have everything to lose as a heavy favorite and Team Europe has everything to gain. Europes surprising performance has some wondering if the next time an NHL team has an opening, Kruger might get another call.You should never say never about anything in life, Krueger said. Circumstances change, but I definitely did not take this job hunting for a job.Krueger is chairman of Southampton , a Premier League soccer club. He ended up there by following an unusual path.When he became a coach in the Austrian Hockey League in 1994, Kruger was looking for another line of work.I was so frightened about the future and being unstable in coaching so I started doing motivational speaking and that took me into the corporate world, he recalled. I was then invited by the founder of the World Economic Forum to be one of the members of the leadership council. I was the only non-academic. There were 50 academics and me.That role led to his job with Southampton. When Team Europe was looking for a coach, its search started and ended with Krueger because of the relative success he has had in best-on-best tournaments.Kruger coached the Swiss at three Olympics, including in 2006 when he helped them to a sixth-place finish -- one spot ahead of Canada, a team they beat 2-0 -- and a fourth-place showing at the 1998 World Championships.Team Europe forward Frans Nielsen said he wouldnt be surprised if NHL teams start showing interest in Krueger.I think he has shown in this tournament how smart of a hockey brain he is, Nielsen said.He will be trying to figure out Canada this time, a team that hasnt lost a best-on-best game that counted under Babcock since the U.S. stunned the Canadians in the preliminary round of the Vancouver Games six years ago.I get up every morning, and I do the best I can, and work as hard as I can to prepare my team the best I can, Babcock said. Try to love the guys the best I can, try to make them feel good and make them better players. And I go home and love my family and I come here and do it the next day and over time things have worked out good.Babcock is the only coach to win gold at the Olympics and World Championships along with a Stanley Cup, which he helped the Detroit Red Wings hoist in 2008. He also led Anaheim to the Stanley Cup finals in 2003. His current team, the Maple Leafs, are in a rebuilding phase.Even though Babcock oozes with confidence these days, he acknowledged accomplishing the things he has were beyond his wildest dreams while he was growing up and climbing the coaching ladder.You grow up in Saskatoon or youre a coach at Red Deer College, you probably dont think youre going to coach Canadas Olympic team, he said.---Follow Larry Lage at www.twitter.com/larrylage and follow his work at www.bigstory.ap.org/content/larry-lage Paul Hornung Packers Jersey . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Clay Matthews Womens Jersey . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. http://www.shoptheofficialpackers.com/Elite-Ray-Nitschke-Packers-Jersey/ . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. Brett Favre Womens Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Custom Green Bay Packers Jerseys .875,000, avoiding arbitration. Clippards deal Monday means all eight Nationals players who filed for arbitration wound up settling before a hearing. MINNEAPOLIS -- The Detroit Tigers havent played their best baseball during the last two weeks but finally have a chance to get back on track when they open a three-game series against the last-place Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night at Target Field.The Tigers, 4-6 in their last 10 games and clinging to viability in the American League Central standings, have played a grueling schedule since the month began, including series against postseason contenders Seattle and Kansas City as well as division leaders Texas and Boston.Minnesota is neither, and since going 15-11 in July, the Twins have stumbled to a 9-11 start in August, including a four-game series sweep last weekend at the hands of the surging Royals.It was the first time since 1999 that the Royals took all four games of a series with the Twins and the first since 1975 in Kansas City.Im very frustrated, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, according to MLB.com. To (go to Kansas City) and have to endure (those) four games. Some of these situations and environment where guys need to step up, our mental toughness needs to improve.Hopefully, we do that as we get more experience from our younger core. Thats what it takes to win on the road against a team thats playing well.Detroit trails first-place Cleveland but is one of a handful of teams within striking distance of Baltimore for the second AL wild-card spot. The Tigers came away with a 10-5 win over the Red Sox on Sunday, securing a series split against a team that entered the weekend on a six-game winning streak.ddddddddddddThe series saw the return of outfielder Justin Upton, who has struggled in his first season in Detroit. Things got so bad last week that Tigers manager Brad Ausmus benched him for a few days after a 1-for-31 skid.Upton spent time with hitting coach Wally Joyner and returned Saturday, getting a double off the center-field fence in his first game back before slugging two homers in Sundays win.I continue to let him know hes the kind of guy that can carry a team, Tigers outfielder Cameron Maybin told MLB.com. Not to put any pressure on himself, but hes that type of talent. Were going to need him to do things like that, that hes capable of doing. And its something to watch when he does. When he gets them, he gets them.Tuesdays opener features right-handers Anibal Sanchez for the Tigers against Kyle Gibson for the Twins.Sanchez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning his last time out against the Royals but ended up with a no-decision, striking out eight and walking two while surrendering one hit in seven innings. He had a quality start against Minnesota on July 19, allowing three runs and striking out 10 in six innings but took the loss.Gibson is coming off a complete game against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday when he allowed three runs and eight hits and fanned six. He has struggled in eight career starts against Detroit, posting a 3-4 record with a 5.04 ERA. ' ' '